Listen With Your Heart
by hannah09
Summary: One-shot of Eric's POV for the events that take place at Sookie's house in chapter 10 of DAG. Did Sookie really hear him? Spoilers for all books.


Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. They belong to the one and only Charlainne Harris, to whom I thank profusely for creating such amazing and fun characters for me to dress up and play with.

**A/N:** Well, here we are. It's been a long, long way coming, but I finally got here.  
This is my first published attempt at fiction writing, so please (pretty please with sugar on top?) let me know what you think.

This is an EPOV for the events at Sookie's house at the beginning of chapter 10 from book 9. I hope you like it, but even if you don't, let me now. Remember, constructive criticism is always welcome!

I would like to thank the wonderful Sunskiz for beta-ing this baby, as well as for the help and support she gave that allowed me to give the first steps in the amazing world of fanfiction writing.  
If you haven't read her story 'Fighting Against Fate', than what the hell are you waiting for? Now, off you go! (but please come back to read mine! lol)

Samantha, thank you for believing in me.

Now that my A/N is done . . . enjoy!  
I'll meet you all at the end.

_-------------------------------------_

_Sometimes I truly wished she could hear vampire thoughts._

_It would make things so much easier for her. For me. For us._

_If only she would listen. _

_Stubborn woman._

I was at Fangtasia, enthralling the vermin - as Pam so considerately puts it - when I received a call from one of my underlings stating that the Quinn was seen a few miles away from entering my Area.

_Fuckin' fur ball_, I thought to myself. I knew perfectly well where he was headed. I had specifically told him _No_ when he asked to speak to my bonded. Even though he knows fairly well that Sookie and I were pledged with the knife, and all the rules that such a bond entails, he still disrespects my orders and tried to see her.

If I didn't know it would bother her deeply, to the point where she wouldn't direct me with so much as word, I would have finished the tiger's life way back. Perhaps I should have. With some careful planning, she would never even have suspected it was me.

I shook myself out of that reverie and dialed Compton's number.

Bill fucking Compton. That's another rock on my shoe. I should have known that asshole's intentions weren't entirely self-motivated when he said he had to protect her. I can still see her face when I was the one that had to be carrier of the information, for twice now, of Compton's deceit. The hurt, deception, sadness and the disappointment - all of those feelings clouded her beautiful eyes in those two occasions. I made myself promise to never do such a thing to her, for I would not be able to carry the weight of knowing that I had caused her such pain.

More than one time I made a move to end that bastard's life, but as kind she is, she always asked me stop; telling me she could not endure being the cause of his death.

Nevertheless, Compton sort of loved her in his own sick-love puppy way, always begging her to forgive him; taking every opportunity to try and get her back. He was annoyingly and overly devoted to her for my tastes, but sometimes that came in handy. This was one of such times.

His cell phone rang a few times before he answered, and when he picked up I immediately ordered him to be at Sookie's house as soon as possible, stating shortly that if the tiger appeared he was not to harass Sookie in any way. He told me it might take him a while to get there, since he was not in Bon Temps.

"I don't give a flying fuck about what you are doing Compton, just get there. I will be at her house myself as soon I can," I said, and then I shut my phone.

The bar had opened up for the night not even two hours ago, so I should not be leaving just yet.

I probed the bond, in search of some hint of anger or any other negative feeling from Sookie, but all seemed well - which slightly diminished my restlessness.

Not five minutes later, I could sense a strong wave of anxiety coming from her, soon followed by frustration and anger; and knew that the tiger had made it to her before Bill.

I immediately rose and went to door. Pam was about to open her mouth to speak, but the look on my face soon made her change her mind.

I got into the Corvette and drove, like Sookie would say, a bat from hell, all the way sensing and probing the bond.

Just as I turned into the road that led to her house, I felt something was wrong with her, as the bond immediately shut down, as if she was asleep.

"What the fu…" I started saying as I turned into her driveway, and took in the scene before my eyes.

Bill, with his clothes torn and bloody, was kneeling besides a passed out Sookie, and Quinn, with his claws out and bleeding from his jaw, was frozen in place staring at them with wide yellowish tiger eyes.

I ran to Sookie's side to access the damage and hissed at Bill, "What the hell did you do to her? Explain. Now." My voice getting louder by the second, not bothering to shield the anger and desire the rip their throats out.

"The tiger wouldn't leave and we battled. He retaliated by throwing me away in Sookie's direction, and knocked her down unconscious," Bill clarified.

"Is this true?" I asked, directing my gaze to the tiger.

"Yes." That was all he replied.

"You will leave immediately, and I won't kill you," I informed him. As he turned his back towards his car, I added darkly, "Tonight that is."

I saw Bill smirk at my statement and decided to wipe that stupid smile off of his face. "I can take it from here. You are dismissed".

"But Eric, I…" he was starting, but I cut him off.

"I said, you are dismissed Bill, don't make me say it again, or you _will_ regret it"

Bill rose and headed to his house as I tried to wake Sookie, but to no avail.

She would not respond to my touch or my voice, and that made me worried about her. I knew that head injuries and subsequent unconsciousness were something to be taken seriously in humans, and even though Sookie was alive and breathing well, I could not avoid worrying about her.

_What's wrong with you Northman? All these years you've cared about no one except yourself, and now this woman - this _human_ woman - comes along, and turns your world upside down. What. The. Fuck, _my inner beast roared.

I decided to ignore my pragmatic self and took her into the house to give her some of my blood and prevent any further incidents. _One can never be too careful_, I said to myself. I took her to her room and laid her down in the bed.

I removed her stained clothes, leaving on only her underwear. I contemplated the sight before my eyes. My lost memories didn't do her justice, as she was even more beautiful than I remembered. _Your body is wonderland_, I heard someone sing once and I had to agree. Her sun kissed skin revealed the luscious curves of her body, as well as her beautiful bra clad pair of breasts. _The most beautiful pair of breasts I have ever seen_, I remember saying to her; and I couldn't have been more truthful.

I found myself getting hard just looking at her, and I tried to will it away. The things she does to me, I would never understand.

I looked at her peaceful face, admiring the blond hair splayed across the pillow, the pouty pink lips, the light blue eyes…

No, the blue eyes weren't there, as they remained closed due to her unconscious state. _One more reason to give her my blood and wake her_, I thought. I needed to see her eyes come to life and out of that sleeping state.

I removed my shirt and leaned against the headboard and pushed Sookie up into a semi sitting position, her back against my chest and her head resting on the crook between my shoulder and neck, her warm breath just bellow my ear.

This wouldn't be half as fun as any of the other exchanges, since Sookie was out of her senses, and taking advantage of woman in her condition was against any of my beliefs.

I despised men who would take advantage of a woman. That thought alone made my blood boil, as I remembered what Compton had done to her in Jackson.

"Never again," I promised to myself and to her, "never again."

I lifted my arm and bit my wrist, putting it against Sookie's half opened mouth. She wouldn't take it at first, so I whispered into her ear, "Drink Sookie," and I felt a light pull of her lips on my wrist. A low moan escaped my throat, and I felt myself getting hard again, but it wouldn't do any good. I would wait for her. _I've come this far, what's a couple more hours?_

She slowly draws two more times from my wrist before the wound closed as I felt my desire for her increase.

"You will be the final death of me," I told her quietly, knowing she wasn't listening.

I got up and went to the bathroom to get a wet washcloth from her bathroom.

Slowly, I squeezed the piece of cloth over her face and neck, and I felt her awaken as water trickled into her mouth and made her splutter, making me scold myself for being the cause of her choking.

"Too much?" I asked, irritation still noticeable in my voice due my slight lack of carefulness.

As I spoke, I saw her open those beautiful eyes and take in her surroundings with wariness.

Once she noticed she was in her own room, I felt her uneasiness subside and she answered, "Enough".

I reluctantly got up and went to the bathroom to get a clean towel, and started drying her wet face and neck.

"Cold," she stated, and I felt her shiver. "Where are my clothes?" she asked, as she took in the fact that she was wearing nothing but her underwear.

_If I have my way with you, soon you'll be wearing nothing_, I thought, but refrained to telling her so, knowing well how she would react to such a statement.

_Patience, Northman - all in due time._

"Stained," I replied, pulling a blanket over her. I swiftly dropped my shoes on the floor and joined her under the blanket, propping myself up on my elbow and taking in her face.

_So beautiful, so innocent_, I thought to myself. _And mine_, I added.

_You have only to say and the tiger will never touch you, never bother you again. He will never care for you the way I do. Neither will Compton._

As those thoughts crossed my mind, another one haunted my spirit. _Does she love him? Them?_

"Do you love him?" I asked her, but she dodged my question by asking one of her own.

"Are they alive?"

I proceeded to tell her the fur ball drove way with only a broken jaw and a few broken ribs and that Bill would heal - if he hadn't already.

"I guess you had something to do with Bill being here?" she asked.

"I knew when Quinn disobeyed our ruling. He was sighted within half an hour of crossing into my area. And Bill was the closest vampire to send to your house. His task was to make sure you weren't being harassed while I made my way here. He took his role a little too seriously. I'm sorry you were hurt," I told her, my voice a bit harder than I expected. Apologies were something I wasn't used to giving, especially to a human, and I saw her smile in the dark, as she realized my annoyance at doing so.

"So they stopped fighting when I hit the ground, I hope."

"Yes, the collision ended the . . . scuffle," I replied still slightly irritated.

"And Quinn left on his own?" she asked with a strange look on her face, as she tasted the blood on her lips. That action alone was enough to make my dick twitch from the lust that invaded me, but I tampered it down so she wouldn't feel it across the bond.

_Yet_, I silently added to myself.

"Yes, he did. I told him I would take care of you. He knew he'd crossed too many lines by coming to see you, since I'd told him not to enter my area. Bill was less accepting, but I made him return to his house."

"Did you give me some of your blood?" she asked, finally taking in the taste in her lips.

"You had been knocked unconscious," I said. "And I know that is serious. I wanted you to feel well. It was my fault."

_Why do you keep apologizing to her? You. Are. Vampire. Vampires do NOT apologize. Least of all to those inferior to them, _the ancient animal inside yelled at me.

"Mr. High-handed," she called me, sighing.

"Explain. I don't know this term." I told her.

"It means someone who thinks he knows what's best for everyone. He makes decisions for them without asking them."

I thought about that. "Then I am high-handed," I said to her, thinking that was not the only thing I was - especially at that moment.

I decided it was time to go for the kill.

"I'm also very . . ." I started to say, as I lowered my head and captured her lips between mine; kissing her slowly, leisurely, enjoying the faint taste of my own blood on her lips - making me ache for her even more.

"Horny," she added instantly.

"Exactly," I said, and kissed her again; allowing her to set the pace on this one. "I've worked with my new masters. I've shored up my authority. I can have my own life now. It's time I claimed what is mine."

And with that I opened the bond, allowing every bit of lust and desire float all the way down to her end of the bond.

I caught her full, swollen lips, kissing her fiercely, willing her to respond to my actions; and after a few moments she did.

As she kissed me back with reinforced passion, I felt her uneasiness and doubt subside and be replaced by a desire and hunger I've never seen in her - mirrored only by the lust that clouded over, darkening her eyes.

In that moment I knew she wanted me as much as I wanted her and that only spurred me more in my claiming.

Her small warm hands traveled down by back, feeling the muscles working together underneath the shirt I was wearing - all of them committed to the sole purpose of bringing her pleasure - and I responded by allowing my hands to give her smooth and luscious body the same treatment she was giving mine, remembering every curve that they had discovered and touched the time when I was cursed.

We went on kissing for a few minutes, alternating between gentle and demanding, my cold tongue battling with her warm one for dominance while our hands indulged in each other's touch as the desire build around us.

"Do you really remember?" she asked me, trying to recover her breath. "Do you really remember staying with me before? Do you remember what it felt like?"

"Oh, yes," I replied with no uncertainty whatsoever, "I remember." My hands made their way to her back, swiftly unhooking her bra and releasing her magnificent breasts from the tight embrace of the supporting device.

"How could I forget these?" I told her, as I paid homage to the breasts that haunted my mind every time I thought about her - my lover.

I lowered my head to her chest and captured one of her nipples into my mouth while I cupped the other breast in my hand, my fingertips arousing the other nipple. A deep, hungry moan escaped her sweet lips, making the ancient beast inside of me rise with the desire of making her mine.

The millennial animal commanded, and my body obeyed. Puncturing the nipple my mouth had greedily fastened on, I felt her pleasure seep into the bond as her soft, yet demanding hand, found its way to my jeans, rubbing itself in the aching hard-on that lied beneath, struggling against the fabric for freedom.

That action alone spoke of the urgency and hunger with which she craved me, and who was I to deny her?

With the speed of light, I divested us from every piece or scrap of remaining clothing, allowing nothing to stand in the way of our naked, wanting bodies.

I allowed my body to press into hers, making her feel just how much I wanted to make her mine. Kissing her at a frenzied pace, almost vampiric in its force, I groaned into her mouth, reveling in her taste, as she mimicked the lustful sound.

But that wasn't enough. I needed to feel her warmth around me, and I needed it fast.

I slid the hand that caressed her other breast down her body, between her legs and into her burning center. She cried out and squirmed in pleasure as I moved my fingers slowly in and out of her, coating them with the juices or her arousal, and caressing her nub with my thumb.

"Eric," I heard her call in a heated whisper, when I felt her repositioning herself under my body. Raising her hips to meet the hardness between my own, she said, "Now."

That was all the invitation I needed, and with a hoarse, "Oh, yes," I slid myself into her center, enjoying the sensations I felt along my length.

_So wet, So hot, So tight, So good, and so mine_, I thought, and decided to let her know how much this meant to me.

"This is best," I whispered hoarsely into her ear, loosing myself in the feeling of her. _I want you like this every night_, I conveyed to her mind, silently wishing she could listen.

_But she won't, and you know it, _my reasonable self stated.

"This is _best,_" I repeated, for I had lost my line of thinking due to the ramblings of my mind. "This is _right,_" I said, pulling myself slightly out of her, testing my own resolve and control, for I wanted nothing more than to bury myself hard into her core again.

I remembered the first time I entered her, back when I was cursed, and the slight shock she felt then made me refrain now.

"Not hurting?" I asked.

"Not hardly," I heard her reply, her voice faltering.

"I am too big for some."

"Bring it on," she said, her voice stronger with resolve and want.

And so I shoved forward, deeper into her.

"Omigod," she moaned through clenched teeth, and I felt her fingers claw into the muscles of my arms as she yelled, "Yes, again!"

I buried myself as deep as I could into her with each stroke, speaking softly in her ear, "Jag älskar dig," and repeating it with another fast stroke, quickly increasing the pace of our lovemaking, as I felt the tension inside me escalate to almost unbearable heights. I felt her bliss build too, and I knew she was as close as I was from release.

"Come with me, my lover," I whispered into her mouth, but I was sure she had not listened it, knowing well she was about to come down from a powerful orgasm.

_Well, lets make good on that one_, I thought as I lifted my mouth from hers and bit her shoulder, claiming her blood greedily.

She cried out in pleasure and I felt her shudder and clench around me as I bit her, and not a second later, as the taste of her sweet and intoxicating blood sipped into my mouth, I was overpowered, my climax flowing through my body in a powerful wave of pleasure.

When I finally came down from my high –_high on Sookie_, I thought – I noticed I was still pressing my heavy body into her small one. I thought about rolling to her side, but decided against it as I sensed her feeling of safety through the bond and saw her smile.

_She likes it. My body over hers, covering, shielding and protecting her_, it dawned on me as I licked the puncture marks I left in her neck.

I also felt her contentment in the bond and through the caresses her small hands left while trailing my back, still trembling a bit from the orgasm I gave her.

_I gave her. Me_, my inner animal roared.

"Will this change the blood bond?" she asked, and I noticed the accusing tone in her question.

"Felipe wanted you. The stronger our bond, the less chance there is he can maneuver you away," I explained a bit irritated by her accusation, and effectively rolling to the side.

"I can't do that."

"You won't need to," I spoke softly to her. "We are pledged with the knife. We are bonded. He can't take you from me."

_I'll never allow it. Over my dead body_, I mentally said. _Well, finally dead body_, I added.

I felt her relief mingle with some residual fear, and decided to distract her from whatever dark thoughts that haunted her mind and clouded her beautiful face.

_No, that won't do. Let's see what I can do to relieve her… tension_, my inner beast said with a leer. I liked its way of thinking.

My hand travelled from her hip to her breast, never breaking contact with her flushed skin.

I did love those breasts. I remember well the first time I got a full look at them. Never had a shower felt as good as that one. I could almost still feel her hands washing my body, her mouth biting my skin, and that last memory made shiver with delight.

"Bite me," I said seriously.

"Why? You said you already gave me some."

"Because it makes me feel good," I told her, and once again moved on top of her, "Just . . . for that."

"You can't be . . ." she started, but her voice quickly faltered as my desire made its presence known.

"Would you like to be on top?" I inquired, teasing her.

"We could do that for a while," I heard her lust filled voice say, and that made me want her all the more.

I rolled us in the mattress, placing Sookie on top of me, and pulled her down on my already aching hardness, kissing, pinching, nipping and caressing every bit of flesh my hands and my mouth could find. I felt her relax under my attentions and start moving, first slowly and at an irregular pace that quickly gave way to a fast, steady one as her pressure built.

"Slow," I said to her lips, and she reduced the pace as my hands found their way into her hips, pulling her to me.

"Oh," I heard her murmur, and felt her bliss start to seep into the bond, as my thumb draw lazy, yet powerful circles in her clit

She was rapidly approaching her climax, I could tell, not only from the bond and the rising sound of her delightful moans, but also from the increase of the pace with which she rose and fell, impaling herself on me, burying my length as deep as it could be in her core.

The deep angle allowed me access to the golden spot that would give her a glorious release, and each time she fell I stroked the spot with the tip of my cock, eliciting yells and groans of intense pleasure from her, which added even more fuel to the burning inferno that threatened to consume me.

I no longer cared for controlling her movements, as my orgasm approached fast.

But I could not have been prepared for what was coming.

Sookie took my wrist and bit hard, my blood flowing into her opened mouth, and then I was yelling to the air from the force of the release that hit me with the strength and suddenness of a tsunami hitting land - sweeping everything in its way. The pleasure that possessed me was one like I had never felt before; before meeting her.

It felt like dying again, it felt like being reborn. I felt my blood flowing in her veins, calling to me, telling me she was mine and I hers.

And then we became one, as my pleasure mingled with hers, bliss taking over her body and causing her to collapse on top of me, shuddering.

_Valhala_, I thought, _this is how it must feel_.

I felt, rather than saw, her tongue licking the place where she had bitten me, mimicking my earlier actions, tending to my wounds with care, even though they were already healing.

"Perfect," I said, aftershocks still running through the length of my body, in smaller but still blissful waves, like replicas after an earthquake. "Perfect."

For a brief moment I felt like she was going to say something, but she decided against it.

_Perhaps it was a compliment_, as she once gave me when our bodies worshipped each other for the first time, my ego said to my reason.

As Sookie fell into a contented and light sleep I allowed myself to slip in downtime, one from which I was quickly brought back with a question from her.

"Can I tell you what happened today?"

"Of course, my lover," I said, my eyelids weighing from the warm relaxation her heated body against my cold one provided. "I'm all ears – for the moment at least," I told her, and laughed.

And I listened, her voice filling my ears with the soothing tone of her voice, as she told me of her day and the visits she got during her sunbathing time.

_I thought I tasted the sun on your skin_, my mind said, and my mouth voiced it.

_So much for the brain filter_, my mind silently said this time.

_One day you're really going kill me_, I added. _Oh, but what a sweet death it could be._

"Go on," I told her, ending my mental rambling.

She proceeded to narrate the events of her day, informing me of the fairies and the close encounter at her home, reminding me of the scent I caught earlier.

"I smelled fairies around the house," I explained, "but in my overwhelming anger at seeing your tiger-striped suitor, I put the thought aside. Who came here?"

"Well, this bad fairy named Murry, but don't worry, I killed him," she said in a casual tone, as if she was talking of the weather. If I didn't know better, I would tell I was talking to a vampire, from the coldness with which she talked about her dead enemy.

_Fucking perfection_, I thought, as I imagined her vampire, ripping those who crossed her in pieces.

_You would make a glorious vampire, my lover, if you so desired._

But she didn't want to be turned, and I would respect her wishes.

I would never betray her trust in me.

So, as fast as the picture formed in my head, I crushed it.

"How did you do that, my lover?" I asked her softly, trying not to give out the excitement I felt just from thinking of her killing a fairy.

She told me how she destroyed her enemy and about the presence of her great-grandfather and another fairy, which caught my attention.

I asked her multiple times if the body was gone, and she answered it was. But I knew she still wasn't safe.

"It might be a good idea for you to stay in Shreveport, you could even stay in my house," I offered.

I realized then that there was nothing that I wanted more than to have her in my house, hearing her call it home. It took me by surprise, but that was what I desired.

But she would not take it.

"I really appreciate that," she said, "but it would be awful hard for me to commute from Shreveport back here to work."

"You would be much safer if you left your job until this problem with the fairies is resolved," I told her, masking the hint of disappointment that nagged somewhere in my chest.

"No, thanks. Nice of you to offer. But it would be really inconvenient for you, I bet, and I know it would be for me."

"Pam is the only other person I've invited to my home," I explained, trying to convey to her the importance the gesture carried.

"Only blondes permitted, huh?" she joked.

She joked!

_This is NOT a matter for laughing, my lover_, my mind said through imaginary greeted teeth.

"I honor you with the invitation," I said, my voice a bit cold, but my face still expressionless.

"Eric, I'm clueless," I heard her said. "Cards on the table, okay? I can tell you're waiting for me to give you a certain reaction, but I have no idea what it is."

_Are you toying with me, woman?_ I mentally yelled at her, frustration surfacing in my eyes. _Do you not know by now how much I want you?_ _I have taken bullets for you! I have protected you! Comforted you!_ _What more do you need me to do for you to acknowledge my devotion to you?_ I heard a part of me scream to her. How could she be so blind?

Anger took over me, as the ancient beast that lay within lashed at me.

_You are vampire! You will not submit to the task of explaining yourself to someone lesser than you!_

The millennial beast and the recently found humanity battled inside, confusing me.

"What are you after?"I inquired.

"What am I after? I don't think I'm after anything," she said measuring her words, I noticed. "I was after an orgasm, and I got plenty of those," she said and showed me a little smile.

"You don't want to quit your job?"

"Why would I quit my job? How would I live?" she asked, eyeing me very seriously, almost like she was searching for something. "Did you think that since we made whoopee and you said I was yours, I'd want to quit work and keep house for you? Eat candy all day, let you eat me all night?"

_Yes, in a way._

_I want you, no one else;_ my mind spoke through my eyes and face.

I saw a brief streak of anger shine in her eyes. I also felt her exhaustion in the bond. She took in a breath of air and went on telling me how much she liked and needed to work, to keep the distracting voices away from her head. She ended her explanation asking me about what I was saying.

Indeed, what was I saying? I realized I didn't know for sure.

I did not like the feeling.

"This is what other women have wanted from me," I told her. "I was trying to offer it before you asked for it."

"I'm not anyone else," she responded in return.

_No, you are most certainly not. You are mine. Only mine_, my mind replied.

"You're mine," I answered simply.

From the irritated look on her face, I knew she didn't like my statement, so I amended quickly.

"You're only my lover. Not Quinn's, not Sam's, not Bill's."

_Are you not?_ the voice in my head asked, a cold sensation I did not like penetrating my chest.

The million dollar question.

"Aren't you?" I questioned.

"I don't know if the – comfort – I feel with you is the blood exchange or a feeling I would've had naturally," she said, once again voicing the words with great carefulness.

"I don't think I would have been so ready to have sex with you tonight if we didn't have a blood bond, because today has been one hell of a day. I can't say, 'Oh, Eric, I love you, carry me away,' because I don't know what's real and what's not. Until I'm sure, I have no intention of changing my life drastically."

_Not quite what I wanted to hear lover_, my mind whispered.

"Am I happy when I'm with you?" she asked, as her hand touched my face. "Yes, I am. Do I think making love with you is the greatest thing ever? Yes, I do. Do I want to do it again? You bet, though not right now since I'm sleepy. But soon. And often. Am I having sex with anyone else? No. And I won't, unless I decide the bond is all we have."

For the first time, in a very long time, I did not know what to say, and I _really_ did not like it.

I thought about it, and after a few moments of consideration, I decided I wanted the truth.

"Do you regret Quinn?"

"Yes, because we had the beginning of something good going, and I may have made a huge mistake sending him away. But I've never been seriously involved with two men at the same time, and I'm not starting now. Right now, that man is you," she told me, and I felt the truth in her words.

She cared enough for me to tell me the truth.

"You love me," I said.

"I appreciate you," she corrected me. "I have big lust for you. I enjoy your company."

"There's a difference," I told her.

"Yes, there is. But you don't see me bugging you to spell out how you feel about me, right? Because I'm pretty damn sure I wouldn't like the answer. So maybe you better rein it in a little yourself."

She caught me by surprise with that. It was becoming an annoying habit of hers.

"You don't want to know how I feel about you? I can't believe you're a human woman. Women _always _want to know how you feel about them."

"And I'll bet they're sorry when you tell them, huh?"

"If I tell them the truth."

"That's supposed to put me in a confiding mood?"

"I always tell you the truth," I pointed out to her very seriously. "I may not tell you everything I know, but what I tell you . . . it's true."

"Why?"

_That's how the blood bond works, lover. I will always tell you what's true._

_But I would always tell you the truth, with or without the bond_, I added silently.

"The blood exchange has worked both ways," I explained. "I've had the blood of many women. I've had almost utter control over them. But they never drank mine. It's been decades, maybe centuries since I gave any woman my blood. Maybe not since I turned Pam."

"Is this the general policy among vampires you know?"

_How should I explain it to her? How can I show her the rarity and importance of sharing blood with a human? The obligations it entails? _I asked myself.

"For the most part. There are some vampires who like to take total control over a human . . . make that human their Renfield." I almost spat the words.

"That's from _Dracula_, right?"

"Yes, Dracula's human servant. A degraded creature . . . Why someone of Dracula's eminence would want so debased a man as that . . . But it does happen. The best of us look askance at a vampire who makes servant after servant. The human is lost when the vampire assumes too much control. When the human goes completely under, he isn't worth turning. He isn't worth anything at all. Sooner or later, he has to be killed."

"Killed! Why?" she asked indignantly.

"If the vampire who's assumed so much control abandons the Renfield, or if the vampire himself is killed . . . the Renfield's life is not worth living after that."

"They have to be put down," she added.

"Yes,"I said and looked away from her, discussed with the viciousness that such actions embodied.

Some of my kind took pleasure in treating humans like that. Not me. I knew how precious human life, and humanity itself could be, and I had living and breathing proof lying in bed next to me.

"But that's not going to happen to me. And you won't ever turn me," she said with as much certainty and seriousness she could.

"No. I won't ever force you into subservience. And I will never turn you, since you don't want it."

"Even if I'm going to die, don't turn me. I would hate that more than anything."

I revisited my earlier ramblings about her mortality, and as much as it pained, I knew I would eventually lose her.

But it would certainly hurt me more to see her turn away from me, with eternity ahead of us both, if I turned her against her will.

"I agree to that. No matter how much I may want to keep you."

_And how much I do, lover, I think you will never know_, my mind whispered to me.

"You saved me from being bonded to Andre," she said. "But it cost me."

"If he'd lived, it would have cost me, too. No matter how mild his reaction, Andre would have paid me back for my intervention."

"He seemed so calm about it that night," she told me.

I recalled the events of that night.

Andre had agreed to let Sookie bond with me instead of him.

I remember the relief I saw in her eyes then. I remember the cold and murderous look he gave for my interruption.

"Andre never forgot a challenge to his will," I said. "Do you know how he died, Sookie?"

"He got stuck in the chest with a big splinter of wood," she said quickly, as I saw a lump form in her throat.

_Sookie, my little bullshitter_, my animal said with a grin, as I stared at her.

But she said nothing.

"I don't miss Andre," I finally said, seeing that she was not going to say another word about the subject of Andre's death. "I regret Sophie-Anne, though. She was brave."

"I agree. By the way, how are you getting along with your new bosses?" she asked, relief in her voice.

"So far, so good. They're very forward-thinking. I like that."

_So far, that is_, I added silently.

"I bet the vamps you had with you before that night are extra glad they pledged loyalty to you, since they survived when so many of the other vamps in Louisiana died that night."

_Always very observant, my little Sookie,_ I thought, and gave a very satisfied smile.

"Yes. They owe me their lives, and they know it."

_It is always good to have a few favours in storage. You never know when you're going to need them_, I thought, as I looked into her eyes.

In the moonlight, their colour looked almost like the sea in a night of storm. If I had functional lungs, the colour of her eyes would have taken my breath away.

Suddenly, I was overwhelmed with the need of feeling her in my arms. I didn't know where such a strong need came, but I went with it and embraced her, holding her body close against mine.

Satisfaction poured over into my side of the bond, and I knew she wanted to be here with me as much as I. Progressively, I felt the satisfaction give way to lust, as her hands and finger toyed with the hair that travelled from my chest towards south.

_So fucking perfect. So right. I roamed the earth a thousand years, just to find you_, my mind said silently.

I would almost dare to say she was made to be with me.

_My friend, family, and especially, my love - my better half. This is what you are to me._

I was brought out of my musings by her question about Fangtasia's_ Vampires of Louisiana_ calendar. She wanted a poster of my picture.

I laughed hard and good. Only she could amuse me so.

"We should think of producing another calendar," I said. "It was a real earner for us. If I can have a picture of you in the same pose, I'll give you a poster of me."

She pondered about it, and I prayed to the gods she would agree.

No such luck.

"I don't think I could do a nude picture," and felt a hint of regret in her voice.

"They always seem to show up to bite you in the ass."

_I would bite you in the ass, lover. You have only to ask_, my inner beast said with amusement.

I laughed, my voice loaded with desire for her.

"You talk a lot about that," I said. "Shall I bite you in the ass?"

She nodded, slightly embarrassed, but the embarrassment rapidly shaped into lust as my mouth travelled downwards from her back, licking, suckling and biting lightly every inch of skin it could find.

She moaned along with my mouth's movement, and reached her already wet center with her own hand, rubbing slow circles in her swollen nub.

Seeing her pleasure herself sent me in a wild dark feeling of desire, and I turned her back to the bed, kissing my way down her body until I reached the place where she needed me most, inhaling the scent of her arousal.

_Her taste was truly exquisite_, my mind said, as I alternated the use of my fingers and tongue between her clit and her hot core to bring her to the edge of release, stopping when I felt her start to slip into bliss.

"Eric, please…" I heard her beg, frustration floating around in the bond.

"What is it, my lover?" I asked her, my voice hoarse with want. "What do you need? Tell me, Sookie, what do you want? "

"Fuck, Eric, I need you! I want… I want you to fuck me, damn it!" I heard her yell with desperate need.

_No need to shout, my love_, I thought to myself with a leer, knowing that I could make her tremble with the same want I felt for her.

Her words spurred me to no end, making my raging hard-on twitch from the scorching need to be buried deep within her.

I lifted myself from between her legs, and kissed her silky mouth hard.

I gave her the most sinful leer I could muster, and withdrew my fingers from her.

I lifted her leg, placing my tip at her opening, rubbed it in her slick folds, and entered her with a long thrust.

"Oh, Eric," she whimpered.

_Lover, you're always so wet for me, I will never tire of being with you like this_, I added silently.

I let the hand I had on her leg find its way to her hip, grasping it as I bucked my hips, thrusting as deep as she would take me.

Her muscles squeezed me tighter with each thrust, and I fucked her harder, as the sensations the friction created made us both release deep moans of pleasure.

I nipped the soft skin on her shoulder as the bloodlust started to sink in me, and she turned her head to meet my lips with fevered kisses.

I captured her bottom lip and punctured it, drawing small beads of blood, and drank them as the intensity of the kiss escalated along with the urgency of our lowers bodies.

"Ungh… Eric," I heard her groan, "harder."

"What, Sookie? Say it loud, lover," I growled into her mouth.

"Harder! I want you to fuck me harder," she almost yelled.

"As you wish," I said as I flipped her over on her fours, and kneeling behind, slid myself in her slick, wet center and began pounding into her deep and hard.

Her small laugh quickly gave place to moans that mimicked the animalistic groans that escaped through my mouth.

With each thrust I gave, she pushed her hips into my own, my balls slapping her clit in a quick succession, making her cry out from the approaching orgasm that threatened to take over her.

The increase in the pace of her actions let me know she was reaching her climax and my hardness begin to grow even harder from my own orgasm.

My hand slid from her hip to her nub, my fingers rubbing it, increasing the force and rushing her climax so we would come together.

"Come with me, lover," I demanded, punctuating with another thrust.

As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I felt her start trembling, the orgasm conquering her body, as if obeying to my command.

Her pelvic muscles started to clench around me as bliss took over her, making me grow and pulse even more. She must have felt the shift in my length because she immediately bucked her hips against mine with great strength and flexed her muscles around me even tighter, making my hips jerk with quick, deep penetration as I came deep within her, shouting to the air, so the gods, and everyone who would listen, could hear me loud and clear.

"Evighet min älskare. Du är min, och jag är din. Evighet."

I felt my knees tremble and give out from the climax and I quickly rolled to my back underneath her, allowing Sookie to fall on top of me.

I held her close to me as she rested her head in my chest and her arm across my stomach.

We stayed like this for a long time, and as I felt her momentarily slip to a light sleep, I allowed myself to go into downtime once again, but not for long, for dawn was approaching fast.

I looked at the clock beside the bed on Sookie's side.

_One hour till dawn_, I said to myself with something that resembled sadness.

_Why does time seems to fly by when I'm with her?_ I asked silently to my mind.

"I have to go," I whispered to her, almost apologizing for leaving her alone.

"I know," she replied, her eyes showing signs of the sleep her body needed.

I rose from the bed and started dressing myself to return to my resting place, and felt her eyes watching every move I made with delight. I smiled to myself as she took in each of my actions greedily.

_I love it_, my inner beast said to me, and I could not agree more, as I leaned down to kiss her, and as I did so I felt her arms slid around my neck, pulling me down into her passionate kiss and warm embrace, as I murmured into her ears, "Min älskare."

And then my mind started to wonder.

_Oh, love, you have no idea how much I want to crawl back into bed with you! To keep on kissing those lips and ravishing your luscious body throughout the day._

_How I wish I could stay with you in the daylight and show you how a true goddess like yourself should be loved and worshipped._

_How I wish you could see into my mind and read in these thoughts how much I love you and want to stay with you. Forever. _

_Mine. Yours. _

But I had to go and seek refuge from daylight, even though it pained me to leave her here alone.

"I want you again," I said to her, suddenly. "But I have to go."

"I'll see you soon, I guess?" she replied with a sleepy, but slightly unsure voice.

"Yes," I told her lovingly, conveying through my eyes the intense feelings I had for her.

Once again I sensed her eyes on me, and saw them travel throughout my body, resting along with her hand in the place at my wrist where she had bitten me earlier in the evening. I felt a shiver run down my back from thinking of it.

I lowered myself again and kissed the spot were I had bitten her in the neck, and felt her shiver too.

"Soon," I added.

_Soon, my love, we will be together, and I won't let you go, ever again_, my mind said quietly. _You will be mine, and I will be yours. Together, we will be as one._

Sookie eyed me curiously, almost trying to unveil something from me. I felt her presence surround my mind, but she was not able to enter it. Sometimes I truly wished she could hear vampire thoughts. It would make things so much easier for her. For me - For us.

_Listen with your heart, lover, then you'll understand_, I silently begged her with my eyes, as I kissed her goodbye and left for my daytime rest.

Fin

_-------------------------------------_

Sooo, what did you think? Bad? Good? Press that green button at the end and let me know.

Here's the translation for what Eric shouted. Any complaints, take it to Google Translator! =P

"Evighet min älskare. Du är min, och jag är din. Evighet." - _Forever my lover. You are mine, and I am yours. Forever._

I've got another story in the making, a multi-chapter storie that I started imagining and writing before this one but I still don't know when I'll start publishing it, but I think it won't take long. We'll see how that goes... =)

Thank you all for taking your time to read. It means a lot!

*hugs*

Sofia


End file.
